Posted By Susan Clotfelter On February 17, 2009 @ 3:07 pm In General | No Comments

This wind is the real wicked witch of the West, or at least it rhymes with her. This is not Winnie the Pooh and the blustery day, people. This is pointy-hatted, mean, ugly, keep-you-awake-at-night-with-sounds-of-fury wind. Even the terrier doesn’t want to go outside.

Tumbleweeds dance across I-25, shattering against truck wheels. Grass fires smoke on the hills. I can feel the three rosebushes I planted last fall crying for water, along with the five that I bermed up in their pots in the old lettuce bed. (She’ll GET you, my pretties — and that little dog, too!) Heck, I’m crying for water right now. I walked in to work with one hand cupped over my left eye — my swanky-but-cheap SunCloud shades just weren’t shield enough from the flying grit.

Once these gusts lie down, — or sooner — we’ve gotta brave the witch’s wrath and get out there and water. I did it in late January when it was 70 out, but that was weeks ago, and we haven’t had a snow worth shoveling since. Here’s one winter watering trick that I use to save time: I take a square, 5-gallon water container that I use for camping, fill it up in the bathtub, take it outside and set its spigot to a slow trickle on shrubs that are still establishing themselves or that just look thirsty. Put a big rock or a cinderblock on top of the container to prevent it from blowing away once it’s empty. This method lets you still do some watering even if you’re in a rush or don’t want to wrestle a hose.

But for the real how-to and how-much on winter watering, consult my fellow blogster and Soil Sister and her excellent, new and improved blog, Gardening After Five[1]. Don’t forget to unscrew your garden hose from the tap after you’re done for the night.